Replacing Fitzgerald would count as something screwy. Coming from Illinois, many of us are praying that he gets this right. I can only hope he stays in his position.

Frankly, I’ll be lucky if he isn’t wearing concrete shoes come February at the bottom of some lake.

I wonder what the Chi guys think about the expressed notion that “Obama doesn’t need the Chicago machine anymore”? I doubt that’s a club you can just walk away from…

warbaby on November 10, 2008 at 4:39 PM

Yeah, it’s like trying to quit the mafia or a street gang once you’ve got the tatoos.

If Obama cleans up Chicago — and I mean really cleans up Chicago — by keeping Fitzgerald on the job, he will have accomplished something truly significant.

He’ll be putting himself in prison

It’s been real interesting to me to watch the rest of America get wised up about Chicago politics by some folks who see it first hand – hats off to cpddet, et al. Even the execrable Bill Clinton seemed put of by “Chicago thugs.”

I wonder what the Chi guys think about the expressed notion that “Obama doesn’t need the Chicago machine anymore”? I doubt that’s a club you can just walk away from…

Plame was not undercover, nor had she been for several years.

It was still irresponsible (cover legends, when blown, can have far-reaching effects), but it was not illegal according to statute.

Thus there were no convictions, and Cheney was not frog-marched from the Capitol. Lots of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

As for the defensibility of this — national politics is hardball. Weenies need not apply. Look to your man Obama for a demo. He’s not half bad at it.

Pearls before swine.

He will never listen..

not even with a well place blow to the head, he will not listen..

I’ve tried with other trolls.. believe you me..

When John Kass, Chicago Tribune, interviewed Obama and McCain, both agreed to keep Fitzgerald on after the election.

Mitt Romney was the only one who said he would NOT keep Fitzgerald on. This was during the primary.

I’d suggest that the Plame witch hunt shows that Fitzgerald is a left-leaning partisan with zero objectivity. For that reason alone he is likely to be rewarded when the new regime siezes power in January.

highhopes on November 10, 2008 at 2:07 PM

Bing!

There’s constant scuttlebutt that Bill Daley will run for Illinois governor…

So having Fitzgerald on the case the next 4-8 years is not in the Combine’s interest.

Sarge6 on November 10, 2008 at 11:35 AM

Sarge, really? You really think Mike Madigan is going to hold off his outrageously ambitious leftist daughter from running now?

Fitzgerald will remain in the Northern District of Illinois to cover up Obama’s ties to Rezko/Auchi. Likewise, Daley has nothing to worry from Fitz.

Angry Dumbo on November 10, 2008 at 11:46 AM

Ohhh!

Finally – a view of Fitzy that I can relate to. I don’t see what this douche has done about corruption in Illinois at all; it’s all small potatoes and window dressing to me.

I think he’s a fraud, and he throws up some pawns, while keeping the lid on the obvious stuff. Cook County, Blagojevich, Daley – they are all Scot-Free so far.

He puts Obama’s fundraiser in jail, but we can’t even get a news story about Obama in the Trib? We have all these stories about Baloneyvich, but nothing? The crooks who run the County? I think Fitz is a bust and a farce.

If Obama cleans up Chicago — and I mean really cleans up Chicago — by keeping Fitzgerald on the job, he will have accomplished something truly significant.

The only flaw in your logic is the idea that Fitzgerald is pursuing Obama’s corrupt friends with all the zeal that grilled Libby about months-old conversations that were irrelevant since he already knew the source. I’d suggest that the Plame witch hunt shows that Fitzgerald is a left-leaning partisan with zero objectivity. For that reason alone he is likely to be rewarded when the new regime siezes power in January.

Arguing with Shipley is like playing kick the can. If we don’t kick the can it stops it’s clattering, and I am tired of the clattering.

thomasaur on November 10, 2008 at 1:41 PM

Agreed. The main issues here are (1) Did obama break the law with the Rezko-obama land deal (2) will fitz go after the crooked chicago thugocracy (3) Will obama get rid of fitz.

If Obama in any way fires Fitzgerald it will be comparable to Nixon firing Cox.

MB4 on November 10, 2008 at 1:35 PM

I think thats a little over the top. Obama’s not accused of anything.

But boy would it be a mistake.

You can bet that Shipley will be screaming for blood the moment someone at CIA leaks damaging information about Obama to the press.

jerryofva on November 10, 2008 at 1:33 PM

blockquote>

If Obama replaces Fitzgerald, either by demanding his resignation or kicking him upstairs to a powerless post, he will signal that he intends to protect his political base in Chicago above all else.

If Obama in any way fires Fitzgerald it will be comparable to Nixon firing Cox.

You can bet that Shipley will be screaming for blood the moment someone at CIA leaks damaging information about Obama to the press.

In large part because of Libby’s obstruction, Fitzgerald could not prove this.

Wrong wrong wrong.
Libby had nothing to do with Armitage. Armitage told Woodward about Plame entirely separately from anything Libby did, and before Libby did.
Armitage did not tell Fitzgerald he had told Woodward. It was after Fitzgerald charged Libby with obstruction that Woodward went to Fitzgerald to tell him about Armitage.

Libby did not prevent Fitzgerald from investigating Armitage, who Fitzgerald knew was Novak’s source. Fitzgerald simply chose *not* to investigate Armitage.

The fun part is that Powell knew about Armitage. And didn’t tell Bush. And Obama will welcome Powell into his White House.

* When columnist Novak contacted the CIA to verify that Plame worked for the agency, he says that the Agency not only verified her employment but also failed to give him a serious request not to publish her name.

* The CIA’s usual procedure when it is concerned that publishing a fact would endanger a covert agent is to have a high ranking official, usually the Director, contact the journalist and ask that information not be published.

* The CIA did not prohibit Plame from making political contributions under the name “Wilson, Valerie E.,” facts that are publicly available at the FEC.

link

That’s because Novak could not have broken the law since he did not have classified clearance. Only those who have access to classified information, then reveal that information can be prosecuted under the law.

Tom_Shipley on November 10, 2008 at 1:13 PM

guess you didn’t read it…

general counsel took no steps to prosecute Novak, as has been done to other reporters under similar circumstances.